Stamp-vending machine.



G. c. BARONB.

STAMP VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED DEO.10, 1908.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 witness G. C. BARONE.

STAMP VENDING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.10,190B.

91 6,828. Patentd Mar. '30, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

GEORGE C. BARONE, OF FREDONIA, NEW YORK.

STAMP-VENDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 30, 1909.

Application filed December 10, 1908. Serial No. 466,797.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE 'C. BARONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at F redonia, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp- Vending Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines designed particularly for vending postage stamps, or the like, and embodies important improvements in this class of machines, and especially those of the type in which the stamps are adapted to issue from the machine as a part of a continuous strip, being automatically severed in the operation of vendition.

The advantages of the present invention will be apparent as this description proceeds.

For a full understanding of the invention, including the merits thereof, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description in which the variousparts of the cooperating mechanisms are specifically set forth.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line H of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view looking from the side opposite that from which the elevation in Fig. 5 is taken; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of one of the vending mechanisms enlarged; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the vending mechanism; Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view bringing out more clearly the strip feeding mechanisms; Fig. 10 is an enlarged View of the fraud preventive device; -and Fig. 11 is a detail view of the toothed segment devices operating the strip feeding mechanism.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figures of the drawings similar parts are referred to by like reference characters- In its preferred form it is contemplated that a mach ne embodying the invention shall comprise a suitable casing 1 of any general form found most convenient, said casing containing therein at its uppermost portion the peculiar vending mechanisms comprising the invention, special coin changing mechanisms being located just beneath the vending'mechanisnis, and'the base of the casing constituting a mail receptacle 2, as shown most clearly in the drawings. Mail is adapted 'to be introduced into the receptacle 2 through a suitable slot at a side of the casing, the lower front portion of the casing having a door 4, its top being hinged or similarly secured and constituting a pivoted cover whereby ready access may be had to the inclosed mechanisms. The back 6 of the casing 1 may be removable for the same purpose. Upper and lower horizontal partitions 7 and 8 respectively divide the casing 1 into the vending compartment 9, the coin changing compartment 10, and the mail compartment or receptacle 2 above referred to.

It is contemplated that the present vending devices shall be used for vending onecent, two-cent, and five-cent stamps, though in carrying out the principle of construction of the invention these mechanisms may be adapted for the vendition of stamps of almost any value. Mounted in the vending compartment 9 are three vending mechanisms, each mechanism being adapted to supply a stamp of a certain value. Since all of these mechanisms are of practically the same construction one alone will be specifically described. Each vending mechanism embodies a motor 11 of suitable construction, a weight motor being illustrated, and the weight 13 operating said motor being supported by a flexible connection 12 movable vertically in suitable openings in the partitions 7 and 8. The supporting connection 12 opening 18 in the front of the casing l and which permits of connection of a suitable crank handle 19 with said shaft 15 for the purpose of winding up the motor in an evident manner. The crank handle 19 of course can be applied to the winding shaft of each,

vending mechanism. Adjacent to the motor 11 is a drive gear 20 connected with the motor by a suitable train of gearing and supported by a drive shaft 21. The shaft 21 is mounted in hearings in brackets 22. projecting from opposite sides of the motor casing. The shaft. 21 has a toothed wheel mounted upon an eiid portion thereof, and exterior to an adjacent bracket 22, the teeth of the wheel 23 being engaged by a tappet lever 24. The rear end of the lever" 24 is connected by'a rod 25 with the front end of a coin actuated lever 26, the rearmost end of the lever 26 extending downwardly and terminating at the lower end of a coin chute 27. Said rear end of the lever 26 is so lo-' cated that a coin droppihg down the chute 27 will strike the lever, tilt the same, and thereby disengage the lever 24 from the wheel 23, thus permitting the motor to opspool 30 being supported by an upwardly extending arm 32. The strip passing from the spool 30 moves through a strip guide 33 which curves downwardly and forward from the motor casing and is secured at its lower end to a support 34 located between the motor and the front wall of the casing 1. Mounted in the support 34, the latter comprising spaced sides, are upper and lower feeding rolls 35 and 36*respect1vely.

The lower roll 36 is mounted upon a suitable shaft 37 supported in bearings in the support 34 and the opposite ends of the shaft 37 extend from opposite sides of said support 34. Carried by one end of the shaft 37 -is a gear 38 while the opposite end thereof.

carries a toothed wheel 39. The gear 38 meshes with a similar gear 38 mounted on the shaft 40 which supports the upper feed roll 35, and the said gears 38 and 38 connect the rolls 35 and 36 for simultaneous feeding movement. The shaft 40 of the feed roll 35, however, is supported by spaced arms pivoted at one end to the support 34 and connected at the endsby a cross piece 42. A transverse bar connecting the sides of the support 34 at the upper ends thereof is connected with the cross 1ece 42 by means of a rod 44 the upper en' of which asses through the member 43. A coiledspring 45 surrounds the rod 44 and is inter osed be:

' tweenthem'ember 43 and a shoul er on the 44, normally tending to hold the upper roll 35 inoperative contact with the lower roll 36. The mounting of the upper roll 35 is adapted to permit of slight separating movement ofthe rolls, however, to accommodate for different thicknesses of the strip.- 31'which is fed to cutting mechanism now to be described, by means of the rolls.

The cutting mechanism is very simple comprising a stationary cutting blade 46 secured to the front portion of the support 34, and a pivoted cutting blade47 coacting with the blade 46. The blade 47 is pivoted near one end to the blade 46 and the opposite end of said blade 47 carries a weight 48. The

weighted end-of the blade 47 is connected by 1 a rod with an operating lever 50 the latter being pivoted between its-ends, as shown at 51 to the support 34. The rear end of. the lever 51 carries aroller 52 adapted to travel along opposing cams which project'laterally from a side of the drive gear 20 before mentioned. During each revolution of the drive gear 20 the roller is adapted tomove upwardly twice into the space between the cams 53, its upward movement being caused by gravitative movement of the weighted end of theblade 47. In other words the cams 53 during each revolution of the gear 20 gradually raise the weighted end of-the cutting blade 47 through the lever 50 andirod 49, permitting the weighted end of the cutting blade to drop quickly twice duringthe revolution. Of course each time the cutting blade 47 is thus operated a portion of the strip 31 fed between the blades 46 and 47 by the rolls 35 and 36, is cut off fromthe main body of the strip. The toothed wheel 39 on the shaft 37 is adapted to be engaged intermittently by toothed segments 54 which are carried by arms 55 projecting in opposite directions and secured .rigidly to the drive shaft 21.

Extending forwardly from the support 34' and having its lower end passing through the front Wall of the casing 1 is a delivery chute 56 locatedsome distance below the coin entrance opening 28.

Describing the operation of the vending mechanism, and with respect particularly to the mechanism which is designed to vend two-cent stamps, it may be noted that the toothed wheel 23 on the drive shaft of this mechanism has four teeth. To obtain a twow cent stamp it is necessary that the drive gear 20 rotate at least a one-half revolution. Therefore two pennies must be dropped into the chute 27 to effect delivery of a two-cent stamp. When the first penny drops into the chute and strikes the co n actuated lever 26, the lever 24 is disengaged from the; wheel 23 and this permits a quarter revolution of the wheel 23, the lever 24' riding into contact with the next tooth of'wheel 23.'- On this quarter revolution of the gear 20 the cutting'blade'. 47 is.rai'sed 'through the cam 47 by the lever 50, one of the segments 54 will have engaged and partially rotated the toothed wheel 39 thereby imparting -rotation of the feed rolls 35 and 36 and feeding a stamp length of the strip 31 between the cutting blades 46 and 47 this portion of the strip being severed on dropping of the blade 47 as above described. a a

With respect to the a one and five-cent stamp vending mechanisms, since a single coin is designed to effect vendition of the stamp, the toothed wheels 23 for said mechanisms will be provided with two teeth only, so that dropping of a single coin into the chutes 27 of these mechanisms will be adapted to actuate their tappet levers 27 and thus permit a one-half revolution of the drive gear with its cams 53. This one-half revolution is sufiicient to raise the blade 47, feed a stamp length of the strip 41, and drg the blade 47 in successive order. The roll: 35 and 36 are preferably provided with a suitable periphery of friction material or substance to promote the feeding action thereof.

As before intimated herein it is contemplated to employ in connection with the present invention suitable coin changing mechamsms, the same to be located in the compartment 10 of the casing 1. Three vending mechanisms are provided for the machine, as before mentioned, and three money changing mechanisms are also used preferably, though in each instance the number of such mechanisms may be greater or less as found. desirable for practical purposes. The money changing mechanisms are alike, each consisting of a coin chute 5'1 havlng a coin entrance open in the front wall of the casing 1 and leading downwardly to a motor 59. The motor 59 is similar to the motor 11, but smaller, and said motor operates a toothed wheel 23 engaged by a tappet lever 24. A rod 25 connects the le ver 24 with a lever 26 arranged to be tilted by a coin introduced and dropping down the chute 57.. Pivotally connected with the toothed wheel 23 is a pitman rod 60 having at its outer end a coin pusher 61 in the form of a sliding block. It will be apparent that a coin dropped into the chute 57 will release the wheel 23", and the latter operated by the motor 59 will force the coin pusher 61 outwardly beneath a coin tube 62. tube 62 supports a column of 1 coins and every time the pusher 61 is forced outwardly beneath said tube the requisite number of aforesaid and into a receptacle.

The coin coins are discharged from the tube into-a.

delivery chute 63 and thus delivered to'the person depositing the coin'to'be changed. The money changing mechanism is operatedby devices similar 'to the operating used in the vending mechanism, and "said money changing mechanisms may be used'to change twenty-five and ten cent pieces, and nickels.

A fraud preventive device may be employed in connection with the five-cent stamp vending mechanism'and consists preferably of an auxiliary coin receptacle 64 located in the length of the chute 27 and beneath the slot in the base of said chute.- A light spring 65 fastened to the top of the chute above the receptacle 64 is sufliciently strong to force a penny introduced into the five-cent chute downwardly through the slot A nickel, however, is Wider than the slot in the base of the chute and being heavier will pass said slot as well as the sprin 65, and thus accom'plish the desired resu t in actuating the vending mechanism. The simple form of fraud preventive device may be employed in the money changing mechanisms if desired.

Under certain conditions it would be desirable to adapt the stamp vending mechanisms for vending stamps of unusual lengths,

such as exposition and other special issue stamps. Under such conditions, in order to produce a greater feeding action of the rolls 35 and 36 the toothed segments 54 have end extensions 54 movable to increase the length of said sections and thus impart the desired increased movement to the toothed wheel 39 and the rolls 35 and 36, to cut off more than the usual length of the strip 31 in the event the stamp is of such unusual length.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a stamp vending machim. the combination of driving means, strip feeding mechanism associated therewith, cutting mechanism. means for operating the cutting mechanism, a toothed segment connected with the driving means, and a toothed wheel connected with the strip feeding mechanism and 'engageable by the toothed segment for operation of the feeding mechanism, the toothed segment aforesaid comprising adjustable sections whereby the toothed wheel engageable by the segment may be rotated a greater or less distance in accomplishing feeding action of the strip feeding mechanism.

2. In a stamp vending machine, the combination of a driving gear, a drive shaft supporting the gear, strip feeding mechanism including a toothed wheel, a toothed segment carried by the drive shaft and adapted to intermittently engage the toothed wheel in the rotation of said shaft to actuate the feeding mechanism cutting mechanism operableby said cam, and connec means between said operating lever and t e movfree to niove in a eertain'direction with recomprising a movable cutting blade, 9. spect to the cam engaged therewith. 10 we ht sulpported by said blade, a cam car- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature by t e drive gear, an operating lever in presence of two witnesses.

' GEORGE C. BARONE.

Witnesses:

Tony ALBANo, JOHN Noam.

able blade to permit gravitation of the latter' when the operating lever aforesaid is 

